May 4, 2015

X-Wing custom paint jobs & final escalation list?!?

The X-Wing bug has well and truly bitten me including a desire to repaint the fantastic pre-painted models that come with the game. The repaints I have done so far we primarily to help tell ships apart especially elite from non-elite TF's - overall results are OK..

Red Wings on Tie Fighters for Elite 'named' pilots e.g. Howlrunner

Soontir Fel repainted Green

Original FFG red TI from Imperial Aces pack on left, repainted TI expansion ship on right. Wanted two Red TI to stand in as Royal Guard pilots. Also going to repaint the red-stripe one to make Turr Phenir stand out more.

Tie Phantom repaint - bit rushed but kind of works, will probably improve on it

My first ever X-Wing event is this weekend as well and I am still struggling with a decent list to use for the escalation format. The main issue is the extra ships I have acquired since first entering the event which means I have a lot more options.

At the moment I'm flipping between 7 lists of which 2 stand out as key contenders. In each build I am trying to juggle multiple competing interests (1) firepower - attack dice (2) protection - hull points and (3) agility - pilot skill. I want to move last and shoot first but that means fewer ships that put out fewer attack dice and will in turn attract more damage.

So I have two broad options (a) a swarm that gives up initiative but spams a lot of ships spreading my opponents shooting around while maximising my firepower or (b) a smaller squadron that survives longer but puts out more shooting. The problem with imperials is that all of our ships are horribly fragile. So the dilemma really becomes a choice between (a) a lot of low initiative ships or (b) a small number of high initiative ships.

OPTION #1 - The Phantom List

Round 1
(60pts – Min 2/Max 8 Ships)

59

TP

Echo – PS 6 (8)

32

[Elite] Veteran instincts

[Mod] Advanced Cloaking Device

1

4

35

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

8 Hull points, 2 shields, 8 attack dice

At 60 points I want to kill stuff quick and the Phantom lets me do that while also staying alive. Problem is its horribly fragile as well as expensive meaning I have fewer ships later on.

Round 2
(90pts – Min 2/Max 8 ships)

90

TP

Echo – PS 6 (8)

32

[Elite] Veteran instincts

[Mod] Advanced Cloaking Device

[Crew] Intelligence Agent

1

4

1

36

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the limit

3

30

11 Hull points, 2 shields, 11 attack dice

Round 3
(120pts – Min 2/Max 8 ships)

120

TP

Echo – PS 6 (8)

32

[Elite] Veteran instincts

[Mod] Advanced Cloaking Device

[Crew] Intelligence Agent

1

4

1

36

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the limit

3

30

TF

Howlrunner – PS 8

18

18

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

17 Hull points, 2 shields, 15 attack dice

Round 4
(150pts – Min 2/Max 8 ships)

150

TP

Echo – PS 6 (8)

32

[Elite] Veteran instincts

[Mod] Advanced Cloaking Device

[Crew] Intelligence Agent

[Sys] Fire control system

1

4

1

2

38

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the limit

[Mod] Targeting computer

[Title] Royal guard tie

[Mod] Hull upgrade

3

2

0

3

35

TF

Howlrunner – PS 8

18

[Elite] Swarm Tactics

2

20

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TI

Saber Squadron – PS 4

21

21

21 hull points, 2 shields, 18 attack dice

Initiative wise I am going to lose it in the last 3 rounds as I have used all of my points. But I have a lot of ships including several that have high PS - Echo, Soontir, Howlrunner and Howlrunners Swarm Tactics mate. Consequently, I could do a lot of damage. But against a horde of B-Wings or similar it is going to be difficult.

OPTION #2 - The Swarm

I think Interceptors are awesome so why not take as many as I can and I have four so lets use them all. I lose the Phantom and have fewer high PS ships but these lists give me the largest amount of attack dice in each round. But the cost is I will invariably be shooting last which makes any extra firepower redundant if all my ships die before they can shoot.

Round 1
(60pts – Min 2/Max 8 Ships)

60

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

9 Hull points, 9 attack dice

Round 2
(90pts – Min 2/Max 8 Ships)

90

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the Limit

3

30

12 Hull points, 12 attack dice

Round 3
(120pts – Min 2/Max 8 Ships)

120

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the Limit

3

30

TF

Howlrunner – PS 8

18

18

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

18 Hull points, 16 attack dice

Round 4
(150pts – Min 2/Max 8 Ships)

149

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Avenger Squadron – PS 3

20

20

TI

Soontir Fel – PS 9

27

[Elite] Push the Limit

[Mod] Hull upgrade

3

3

33

TF

Howlrunner – PS 8

18

[Elite] Swarm tactics

2

20

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

TF

Academy Pilot – PS 1

12

12

25 Hull points, 20 attack dice

I like the Phantom but I also like Swarms (meta be damned) so Option 1 is gaining favour right now.